Shimmering Revelations

[Vuthari]

The Apogee
Orbit of Utapau

It was an exciting moment in time for the “Jedi Master”. Vu’thari looked over at Ayasha and Prax, marveling at how far the two of them had come. Each had their own journey, none of them had it easy or without difficulty. These Padawans had grown so much over the months and the twi’lek could foresee each of them becoming great Jedi in their own right. To boot, the two Padawans were different: Prax excelled in the arts of war, Ayasha excelled in the mental arts, Prax kept his emotions bottled up, Ayasha wore hers on her sleeve. It wasn’t an egotistical thought by Vu’thari, but it was a simple fact—each of them took facets of the Jedi and were better than he was at those individual areas. Prax was a better lightsaber combatant and Ayasha was a better mentalist.

His research obtained from Master Eli Reach’s archives spoke of different sites suitable to find kyber crystals that were needed to fuel a Jedi’s lightsaber. There were many sites listed, all of them more convenient than the one that spoke to him. To Vu’thari, Utapau was the planet that he felt he needed to take his Padawans to for their crystals. There was no rhyme or reason for the choice…he just felt it.

The Apogee broke through the atmosphere of Utapau and the ship shuddered as it leveled out underneath the cloud cover. But the bumpy ride had just begun. On Utapau, the planet’s surface was certainly habitable, but the constant, violent storms were a persistent dilemma for the natives. However, cave networks were all over the planet. Some of these cave networks were manmade and others naturally forming. They were here for the naturally forming ones…to find crystals for their lightsabers.

At this point, the Jedi allowed the Force to guide his hands to take the ship where it needed to go for his Padawans. Leveling the ship out, the twi’lek believed he knew where to set down. Some 30 minutes later, the Apogee settled down in a rocky clearing. The natural entrance to a cave could be seen from the starboard viewport.

He looked back from the pilot’s chair at Prax and Ayasha. In a concerned voice, he explained, “I do not know what you two will find there. This journey is not for me. I believe the Force has guided us to this cave. Within lies your crystals, but I know nothing more than that…may the Force be with you both.”

Looking back at the console, the Jedi Master opened the Port door and lowered the steps, leading out of the Apogee…

“I will wait for you here until you return…”

@Wolf
@Critas

 

[The Storyteller]

Ezekiel said that the time had come.

Ezekiel had seen the rise and fall of Empires of Emperors and Empresses. For time immeasurable he had been a champion of the Dark. His rage unparalleled and his skill unquestioned. Hatred had been his lifeblood and the the insurmountable will of Andraste the anvil to his hammer. He had been there so many hundreds of years ago when the Sith set fire to the galaxy.

He had helped.

That was long in the past. The memories, brought forward unbidden, came in a rush. Long ago he had made peace with himself for what he had been, what he had done. Darkness had long since left his body. Age and time had granted him clarity. So much time...for four hundred years he had lived here in his cave, alone. The isolation and exile was self-imposed and welcome. The galaxy thought him dead, his name written from the books of Sith history as though he had never been...but he had; and he remembered. Penance for his crimes he waited out the rest of his days alone and in contemplation of the Force.

Over the years, only a few knew of his existence. They came to him, from time to time with tasks or to seek wisdom but whatever the case, Ezekiel had never left his cave. Locals gave him supplies in exchange for healing the sick, to them he was the mad old hermit who had been there for as long as anyone could remember. He was a part of their lives in a way they could not understand and he was grateful for it.

His memory stretched as he felt something in the Force he had not felt in a long time. The astringent personality of a young Twi'lek...Vu'thari had been his name...filled the Force, powerful and cloaked; Ezekiel reached back and for a moment a memory of a shared time flared to life between them. It seemed as though the young man remembered when his grandfather had brought him to Ezekiel for a singular purpose.

It seemed that Vu'thari had grown and had brought with him the next generation. Ezekiel smiled to himself as he stood up, leaning heavily on his tiny walking stick and made his way over to the fire to stoke it into cheery warmth. No matter how consumed by darkness the galaxy became it seemed as though the Jedi of old had known the truth. Even without them, guided only by their last ember, beings would find their way to the Force.

Ezekiel could not have been more pleased, though he wished he had some better snacks to offer.

@Mithias @Wolf @Critas

 

[Ayasha Waya]

Ayasha had spent the better portion of the flight to Utapau in deep meditation. The mission ahead of her and Prax was one of a more personal nature. Today the padawans would take a most important step on the journey toward earning the title of Jedi Knight. Today, they would find the kyber crystals that would power their lightsabers.

A bit of turbulence shook the caramel skinned woman from her meditative state. She brought her legs down from the seat of her chair and enjoyed a long stretch as her honey colored eyes opened and looked around the cabin of the Apogee. Beside her sat her fellow student and new friend, Prax. Though they were only just becoming accustomed to one another, Ayasha was thankful that he would be with her on this venture into the unknown.

This would be the first of many missions that the young woman would face without Vu'thari, a fact that she had been wrestling with since he began speaking about building her lightsaber and facing the trials. The Jedi Master thought that she was ready and so, Ayasha cast off every hint of self-doubt and welcomed whatever was to come with open arms.

The padawan shifted her gaze to Prax beside her and she offered him a warm smile. “I am glad it's you with me today, friend,” the woman said sincerely before returning her eyes to the viewport on the starboard side of the craft. From the safety offered by the Apogee, Ayasha studied the entrance to the cave where in a matter of minutes, she and her fellow student would be venturing.

From what little the woman could see, the surface of the planet resembled a forest destroyed by fire except...there was no charring. The remnants of trees poked out of the ground and pointed every which way, splintered and fractured. She had done little research about this world, but it appeared as though the extreme velocity within the hyperwind storms the planet was notorious for had practically leveled nearly everything at the surface.

“I do not know what you two will find there. This journey is not for me,” Vu'thari began speaking. Ayasha was pulled away from her thoughts and she shifted her gaze and attention to the twi'lek. His voice carried with it concern, something the natural empath sensed within the Jedi Master's presence. He explained that it was his belief that the Force had guided them to that particular cave where their crystals resided. “...may the Force be with you both,” the pink skinned alien concluded.

The woman collected her waist length raven hair into a ponytail at the back of her head as she rose to her feet and looked to Vu'thari. She smiled, though her eyes betrayed the peace upon her face. The Jedi Master was intimately acquainted with her emotions and she made no attempt to hide her thoughts from him. “I will wait for you here until you return...” the twi'lek added.

Ayasha nodded before her eyes moved from the Jedi Master's emerald orbs to Prax's piercing blue gaze. “Here we go,” she said in a sober tone before journeying down the steps that lead her away from the security of the Apogee and the safety of Vu'thari. The padawan fought the urge to look back, to find the reassurance on his face. It was a small battle she claimed victory over as the pair of students pressed on against a raging wind toward the mouth of the cave.

The woman's hand brushed against the blaster pistol in the leathery embrace of the holster upon her right thigh. She felt the weight of the borrowed lightsaber beneath her black tunic. Vu'thari had given her temporary possession of his grandfather's weapon so the padawan had a means of protecting herself and others until the time came to construct her own. As she and Prax neared the cave, her gaze shifted to the man at her side. She did not say anything, but words were not needed now.

Ayasha simply smiled and focused her attention on the looming rocky entrance, their destiny waiting within. The caramel skinned woman pushed a stray hair behind her right ear as they stepped just inside of the mouth of the cavern. The padawan had not realized just how loud the wind had been until they were now standing within the shelter of the stony walls. A shiver ran down Ayasha's spine as the familiar sensation of being watched crawled across her skin.

The woman's hand trembled just above her pistol, but she resisted the desire to reach for it. She shot a knowing glance to Prax, wondering if he too had felt the intrusive sensation. Ayasha drew in a deep breath and immediately slipped into the rushing current of the Force that flowed around and through her. There certainly was a presence here within the cave, though she could not quite put her finger on it. The padawan squinted as she peered into the darkness ahead, noticing a faint light further in. Taking into consideration that telepathy may still feel strange for her fellow student, the woman was careful to merely whisper into Prax's mind, “We may not be alone.”


@Mithias
@Critas

 

[Prax Dek]

Prax had certainly come a long way since that rainy night on Nar Shaddaa. It had been months, but it seemed like just yesterday when he had met Vu’thari and his life had changed. That day had been filled with changes and he could still recall every moment as if it had just happened. It was on that day that Prax had forcibly removed the shackles of slavery and become truly free, physically as well as mentally. There were still deep scars that would never truly heal from his time as a slave, but he was aware of their presence and pitfalls.

Sitting beside Ayasha, he attempted to meditate as he had been taught by Vu’thari. It was not a skill that came easily to him, his mind a swirling tempest of thought. He slid his hand down his leg and placed it on his pocket. There he had a ring of metal, a link of chain, seemingly plain and unassuming. To Prax it was so much more. The touch of it gave him pause, it helped settle him. It was a piece of his chain, the one he had worn for fifteen years and more, and a constant reminder to him of where he had come from. The smooth cool metal helped him center and he was finally able to drop into the deep state that he had been chasing.

It seemed like only heartbeats when they entered the atmosphere of the planet and his serenity was interrupted. The calm that filled him fell away and he became a tempest once more. Slowly, the meditative state washed away like waves at low tide. He started to become aware of the area around him and thoughts of the task at hand filled his awareness. He opened his eyes to see Ayasha’s smiling face as she told him she was glad he was with her for this. Having no real concept of how to possibly reply to that he simply nodded and stood.

He saw her out of the corner of his eye as she examined the cave that was their destination through the viewport. He on the other hand, stripped and started donning his ranger scout armor. Slaves had no concept of nudity or personal space and it was a holdover that Prax had not really considered. If he had he may have stepped in another room, but modesty was not on his mind in any capacity. Although he had just left a meditation, he came close to falling into a new sort of state as he started to check his equipment. A warrior always has a pre-battle routine and Prax was no different. It was almost like a mantra, said over and over, a practiced set of actions and expected reactions that led to readiness.

With his armor in place, he hooked the helmet to his belt and checked the action on his R5R Blaster Rifle before it was slung across his back. His mind dropped into old familiar routines as he then checked his R5 Blaster Pistol, confirmed his bandoleer of grenades was intact and secure and then pulled each of his three vibroknives and checked their edge.

As he completed his check, he listened to Vu’thari explain that he did not know the nature of what they would face in the cave. It was not his journey but theirs to complete. Prax nodded his head as he listened and contemplated what might be in there. The dark of the pens held many secrets, he was no stranger to discovery and uncertainty. As he heard may the Force be with you, Prax closed his eyes and just lightly tapped the Force as it flowed within him. It was strange to him now to even consider what life was without that familiar feel inside. It was like a warmth that could never go away, a feeling of something Prax had not felt in a long time, home.

Rising from his seat, Prax placed a hand on Vu’thari’s shoulder and met his gaze. He had come this far and would not shrink back now. As Ayasha proclaimed their departure, Prax started down the ramp, his heavy armored footfalls echoing into the ship’s interior. The departure had been one of few words, none from Prax in fact. The only sound from the outside was the wind which matched the swirling of emotions within the mind of Prax.

As they reached the entrance to the cave, Prax too felt the sensation of eyes upon them. With a purpose, Prax spun the R5R rifle around to hang in front of him from its two-point harness. Looking into the depths of the cave, he turned on the flashlight attached to the barrel and scanned the area just out of the natural light. Like a diver plunging into the ocean, Prax fell into the Force and felt its flow heighten his senses. At that moment he heard his fellow padawan’s voice in his mind proclaiming what he had sensed as well. They indeed were not alone. He simply replied, “We are not” before taking the point and entering the cave, flashlight sweeping back and forth looking for traps and threats.

@Mithias
@Wolf
@Lucid

 

[Vuthari]

The Apogee
Outside the Cave Entrance
Utapau

This place…it reminds me of my grandfather.

Truly, the twi’lek did not know what his padawans would find within the cave. As his padawans went into the cave and were out of sight, Vu’thari was able to finally sense a presence in the cave that he had not sensed before. It was a presence he had not felt since he was a mere child of 12 or 13 standard years old. Jedi Master Mastrovo Jolloz, his grandfather, the twi’lek that taught him all he knew about becoming a Jedi, brought him here when he was a young “Padawan”. But such titles were meaningless today—the Sith had destroyed every last vestige of the Jedi Order. All that remained were a rag tag group of five Jedi “Masters” from all over the galaxy that had a vision—a vision that they could revive the Jedi Order once again. It was humorous to the twi'lek that some of the five Jedi referred to themselves as Jedi Masters when they had no students and did not belong to a Jedi Order, but Vu'thari kept his thoughts to himself--not wanting to start off on the wrong foot with his fellow "Masters".

Utapau. It was here Vu’thari learned much of himself and the dark side residing within. A shiver rolled down his spine as he recalled glimpses of his time within those caves. His memory sparked as he meditated on the past—it was this cave where Vu’thari also discovered his lightsaber crystal. The visit to that cave brought insight, maturity and awareness…it was also a frightening experience.

His eyes closed and the Jedi breathed out, clearing his mind of those memories, allowing the Force to flow through him. Vu’thari would think no more on his Padawans until they returned…or did not return. They were on their own.

@Wolf
@Critas
@Lucid

 

[The Storyteller]

"Alone?" Ezekiel seemed to materialize out of the shadows on the left of the cave. He hobbled up to Ayasha and swatted her behind her knees with his walking stick. "Of course you're not alone! Four hundred years I've lived here and haven't left! Come, children it's warm by the fire."

He dragged himself forward, his ancient body not at all pleased with so much movement and beckoned them deeper into the caves. He indicated two stone seats by the fire and suggested they sit. He huffed and grumbled for a moment as they sat, wrestling with an ancient looking range. From the oven he pulled a try of local snacks...rougher fare, but tasty enough. He thrust the tray at Prax and moved to sit on a rock of his own across from the fire.

For a while they sat there in silence as he stared at them. His old eyes moving from face to face and his long, green ears occasionally twitching or drooping with his thoughts. These were not Jedi. They were children, scared and confused; brought up in a time where they had to hide, taught to be afraid from the get go. It broke his heart to see. The Jedi were well and truly dead and gone, their ember faded to nothing but ash and dust on the wind.

The Force pulsed around him. It was not gentle or kind; the Force as Ezekiel wielded it was full of sorrow just then. He could feel their insecurity, Ayasha's dependence on Vu'thari and Prax's juvenile overconfidence. They had no notion of who they were, of who they must be and even less of what they were facing. He knew why they were here, to find the crystals that they would use to give their lightsabers focus; an iconic brand that would identify them the galaxy over.

They were not ready.

He gestured mildly with one three fingered hand. The lightsaber that Ayasha was holding tore free of her grasp and settled neatly into Ezekiel's wizened hand. He knew this saber; it had been wielded by one of the last true Jedi the ancient being had known. She had no right to carry it. With the lightsaber in his hand, lying across the folds of his worn robes in his lap, he looked to them.

"Who are you?" He asked.

@Wolf
@Critas

 

[Ayasha Waya]

Before Ayasha had a chance to think, a small voice penetrated the darkness ahead of the pair of padawans. “Alone?” The young woman's hand fell upon the blaster pistol but still, something within the Force discouraged her from drawing it on the unknown source of the word. Suddenly a strange creature of small stature hobbled up to her and struck her behind the knees with his walking stick. “Hey, what was that for?!” the young woman responded as her brows furrowed in frustration.

The little green alien hardly seemed to notice her reaction as he continued speaking, informing the pair that he had lived within the cave for four hundred years. “Come children it's warm by the fire,” the creature beckoned them as he struggled to drag himself back into the recesses of the cavern. Ayasha shot Prax an incredulous look before turning to slowly, and reluctantly follow Ezekiel toward his home further inside.

Two stone seats stood beside a fire and it was here that the strange little being suggested they sit. He huffed and grumbled to himself while contending with a range much older than Ayasha was accustomed to using. Ezekiel pulled a tray of snacks from the oven and shoved them toward Prax before sitting down upon his own rock across from them. There was an awkward silence that hung over the trio. The caramel skinned woman glanced at her fellow student from the corner of her eye, wondering what he could possibly be thinking about all of this.

Whatever was going on here there was one thing that Ayasha was certain of – the Force was strong within and around this odd little creature. The young woman's amber eyes stayed fixed upon Ezekiel's face as she contemplated her next move. She did not wish to dismiss him and miss a Force arranged appointment...but he was quite possibly wasting their time, something she and Prax did not have enough of to go around.

Ayasha's thoughts were suddenly interrupted when the green alien raised a three fingered hand and the lightsaber hidden beneath her tunic shot into his grasp. “He's a Force user, clearly of an older era...be cautious,” the woman thought to herself instead of leaping to her feet to retrieve the weapon. “Be careful with that, it's old...like you,” she warned him while remaining seated calmly upon the stone seat. Vu'thari had asked her not to feel badly about breaking or losing the lightsaber, so she simply shrugged.

The padawan shifted in her seat as her eyes continued studying Ezekiel. He was a curious little fellow, a species that the woman had never encountered during her short time in the galaxy. He sat with the lightsaber in his hand, lying across his lap. Ayasha took notice of the creature's ancient robes and she pondered all that he had seen in his centuries of life. “Who are you,” he asked then. The woman had a variety of answers to this question run through her mind, but none of them fit this situation that she could only describe as odd.

“You have invited us into your home and provided us with something to eat,” the woman began while glancing at the snacks that neither she nor Prax had touched. She sighed before returning her gaze once again to the face of this stranger who was looking to find out who they were. “You have earned the right to our names, but it would appear as though you already know the answer to your own question,” she said with a smile and a hint of mirth behind the honey colored orbs of her eyes.

It was strange to be in this position. Ayasha was accustomed to Vu'thari speaking and carrying out every mission they had accomplished together. More often than not, the padawan stood silently by as the Jedi Master had taken care of business. Now it was her turn to speak for herself and to answer for herself as well. “I am Ayasha...this is my friend, Prax,” she motioned toward the man sitting beside her. The young woman wondered what, if anything, her fellow padawan would say to this face without a name. She knew the gamut of emotions that could be running through him at that moment, and she would stand in the gap for Vu'thari to help him find peace in the situation if need be. “Who are you?”


@Mithias
@Critas
@Lucid

 

[Prax Dek]

Prax turned to look at the creature that appeared from the shadows beside Ayasha. He nearly shot the little fella before he realized that the surprise meant them no immediate harm. He left his hand on his pistol, eyes looking towards Ayasha for confirmation as to what he should do. The little alien had struck Ayasha behind the knee with its walking stick, causing Ayasha to cry out and ask why he had done such a thing.

They started to follow the little alien deeper into the cave. This was indeed their destination and apparently it had been the home of this alien for at least four centuries. Prax watched as the creature moved, the obvious pain and difficulty of moving a body that old was readily apparent to any watching. Slowly the cave gave way to a living area, just right for the small creature but a little undersized for the humans, particularly the armored mass of Prax.

A little dumbfounded, Prax returned the incredulous look from Ayasha and looked on with disbelief as their host started to produce snacks. The appliances did indeed seem to be relics from a bygone age, but they were in good working order and shortly the snacks were available to anyone brave enough to try one. You certainly did not have to tell Prax twice, being used to the dregs of slave fare, the pedestrian snacks were like a godsend to him.

Prax tried to look inward for an answer. This entire situation had not gone as he expected from the start. He kept his eyes open and very soon he fell from the Force and noticed that their host was watching him. The Force was extremely strong here and their host was a gleaming beacon within that Force. Prax felt waves of sorrow crashing over him as he sat, absentmindedly chewing at one of the snacks. He understood they were being weighed and measured at that point, he could only hope to not be found as wanting.

Suddenly he had doubts. Prax was no mythical creature and barely a free man. How had he thought he could be a Jedi, one of the fabled warriors of old. Where had that concept come from? An alien who was just as crazy as he was and chose to join him sitting on a ledge in the rain of Nar Shaddaa. As he was considering this, the lightsaber that Ayasha had borrowed from Vu’thari flew through the air to their host. Ayasha did not lunge after the weapon and that gave Prax pause, his hand having already started towards his pistol of its own volition.

“Who are you?” the alien asked. Prax was not taken aback by they question. They were in the alien’s home, its den if you will. He was the stranger here, not it, making it seem only fair he reveals his identity. He started to speak as Ayasha spoke, so he closed his mouth and listened. Ayasha played word games with their host but did not seem to be doing so out of malice. Prax gave her a look that said he did not understand her motives.

Ayasha then told the alien their names and asked the creature its name. Prax felt he could speak for himself but Ayasha had already done the introductions, so he chose to remain silent for now, not wanting to open his mouth and seem a fool. He leaned in as Ayasha turned the question back on hits originator, anxious to learn the identity of their host. He still did not completely trust the little creature and his eyes flitted around the chamber, watching corners, shadows and exits for any unseen foes.

@Lucid
@Mithias
@Wolf

 

[The Storyteller]

Ezekiel fixed Ayasha with the most unimpressed look he had ever directed at anyone. "Yes, thank you. I know who you are...do you think after eight hundred years I haven't figured out how to slice some encrypted files?" He shook his head, ears flapping every which way as he laughed to himself. When he stopped his eyes were piercing and intense. He looked at each Ayasha and Prax in turn. He could feel their impatience and unsure skepticism of why they were here. He would humor them for a time...they were children after all.

"Names are just names," he said evenly. "My name is Ezekiel, but what does that tell you about me?" He raised a fluffy eyebrow and continued. "Nothing! It tells you nothing. I asked you 'who are you?' and I meant it. Who are you on the inside?" He held up the lightsaber in one wizened hand. "You hold this, Ayasha, but you have no notion of why you do. If you are to have such power you must know yourself know what you are through and through. Without that..." Ezekiel's voice trailed off into nothingness and his eyes closed as the Force bloomed around him.

Darkness filled the cave. The fire seemed to dim as evil intent, pure and unrestrained poured from the ancient being. It was a shade of what he had been; he did not want to bring it back but the children must understand what was in them. The Force howled and screamed. It roared to strip the flesh off of bones, to pulverize and destroy...to feed an endless hunger that would not be sated. The Force was in their minds and their hearts and for a brief second the two padawans saw Ezekiel as he had once been.

As quickly as it came, the dark vanished, pulled back into the tiny alien. He accepted it, acknowledged it and returned it to its cage. He opened his eyes and looked back to the children before him. "Without knowing who you are you will never be able to wield a saber or the Force for others. I thought I knew who I was when I picked up my first blade and how wrong I was. I fell so quickly, so deeply. The crimes I committed were numerous and horrible. Time has granted me clarity and I have learned who I am."

He smiled, an apology for what had transpired a moment earlier. "But you do not have the luxury of time...so I ask you again, Ayasha, Prax...Who are you?"

@Wolf
@Critas

 

[Ayasha Waya]

Prax sat silently beside Ayasha throughout the exchange between her and the strange little creature. She occasionally shot him a sideways glance, concerned for his emotional well being. This was a most unusual scenario and she wished that Prax would give her some indication as to what was going on in his mind. He was a man of few words, but he was a skilled survivalist and warrior. She knew he was not an imbecile who had no thoughts of his own.

“I know who you are...” the green alien began, explaining how he was capable of slicing some encrypted files, hinting to the source of his knowledge. Ayasha did not believe him and she wanted to tell him so, but patience got the better of her and so she sat silently listening to the creature speak. “Names are just names,” he said plainly.

The padawan knew what he was getting at, but her mind was overrun with thoughts and questions about the stranger. “My name is Ezekiel, but what does that tell you about me?” he asked while raising a thick, wiry brow. Ayasha held her gaze on the creature's face as he exclaimed that it told them nothing at all about him. “Who are you on the inside?” he questioned.

The little green alien held up the lightsaber that he had snatched from the woman's possession. He explained how she held onto the weapon but surmised that she did not know why. He continued lecturing about how the woman must know herself through and through if she were to hold such power. In the back of the padawan's mind, she locked away biting remarks regarding how very little he knew of her and how dare he make such statements about a stranger. This was not the time nor the place for such things. Clearly this was an intentional introduction arranged by the Force and Ayasha did not want to miss out on the lesson.

The woman's thoughts were interrupted suddenly as the Force bloomed around Ezekiel. Darkness in its pure and unadulterated form flooded the cave. Wild, unbridled evil poured out of the little green being. The Force took on another form that Ayasha had only ever experienced within visions, particularly at the Life Tree. For a moment, she and Prax were subjected to the malice that had once owned the ancient being before them.

Ayasha had set her face as a stone and sat unmoved by the display. She knew who she was. The Force affirmed that within her every moment of every day. She was a Jedi, filled with the Light and vehemently opposed to the Dark Side. Ezekiel began to speak once again, this time admitting how he had committed terrible crimes for the fact that he had fallen hard and fast. He pointed back to his overconfidence in himself when he had first picked up his own blade. Ayasha took the creature's words to heart. This had been a real concern for the padawan since the moment her training began. One of the first conversations that she had with Vu'thari was how easily the Dark Side could win someone's heart over.

“Even a Jedi Master...like you,” the raven haired woman had said with grave concern to the twi'lek on a day that now felt so long ago. Vu'thari had concurred that yes, some of the greatest Jedi Masters to have ever lived succumbed to the Dark Side. This troubled the young woman's heart and so, she had been vigilant to keep her emotions in check, taking every thought captive.

The young woman was pulled from her thoughts as Ezekiel smiled a silent apology for the moment that had transpired between them. “But you do not have the luxury of time...so I ask you again, Ayasha, Prax...Who are you?” the small creature posed the question, though far more gently this time. The little green alien that had greeted them seemed to have softened and was now genuinely attempting to give the padawans something far more valuable than the crystals they would take from this cave.

Ayasha sat quietly for a long moment as a torrent of thoughts flooded her mind. She did not wish to be hasty with her answer. She felt as though this was a pinnacle moment in her life and one she would not soon forget. The young woman considered everything that Ezekiel had said as she began to choose the words to form the answer she would give him. “I am not who I once was, nor am I yet who I should be...I exist somewhere between,” Ayasha began insightfully.

“I am always learning. The day I become one with the Force is the day my journey as a student is done,” she paused, reflecting thoughtfully on her life as it had been and as it was now. “So who am I? Right now I am a sum of my experiences, both good and bad. Though my circumstances do not define me, they shape me,” Ayasha continued, a somber look painted across her face. “I am not perfect, but I choose to live a life of service to the Force for the greater good of the galaxy,” the padawan said with resolve.

After a moment of silence, she set her honey colored eyes upon the face of the stranger across from her. “I am a Jedi.”


@Mithias
@Lucid
@Critas

 

[The Storyteller]

"No!" There was vehemence in Ezekiel's tone as he addressed Ayasha directly. Prax seemed to want a little more time to think and Ezekiel would afford him that. "Child you cannot be fluid. Who you are now must not change from day to day! You must walk a path with conviction, with determination and the strength to know when you have no more to give. Experiences will shape you but they must not change what is at your core. If you allow yourself to be molded so easily you will never find yourself and will be lost to the darkness within you."

His tone softened and he sighed, his long ears drooping with fatigue. "Yes," he said, "There is darkness within you. It is within all of us, within every living thing...the Force is not divided in half, it is everything. Light and Dark and everything in-between it is the power that life itself gives as it runs and breathes.

"The Sith are not slaves to the darkness within them, no no...they are much more calculated than that. They know it and they embrace it within themselves. It is a path easily chosen since life is not kind or easy or right. Life is wild and so is the darkness within us." He wheezed again and got up from his seat, hobbling over to a stone pitcher and pouring himself a glass of water before continuing from where he stood by the pitcher.

"And then there are Jedi. Everything they stand for goes against the ease and nature of what it means to be alive. The galaxy is not selfless by nature; to use the light of the Force naturally you must champion the darkness within yourself or you will never be able to wield the power of Jedi as it should be, child."[/color] He wandered back to his seat, his tiny cup in one hand and the lightsaber in the other.

"Think on this while your companion answers my question then answer me again. When I asked you who you were, I did not ask who you are now, or yesterday or what you want to be in the future. I asked who Ayasha was; the whole person."

He met her eyes with his own. Now was the time for reflection and thought. It was Prax's turn to speak, he had heard more than perhaps was wise for him just then but Ezekiel could feel his mind move and knew he had an answer.

@Wolf
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[Prax Dek]

Prax was taken aback by the words of their host, what encrypted files would have his name in them. Why would anyone care enough about a slave to even write down his name, much less details about his life and origins. This concerned Prax, had he done something to gain the attention of a power that he could not fathom? Was it his new association with Vu’thari and Ayasha that brought his attention on him? He did not like what he could feel as the truth to these questions and a frown crossed his features. He was not used to such attention, attention was something you ran from in the pens, it usually meant ill deeds were in your future.

Their host continued to ask who they were, proclaiming that they were not just names. He knew their names but wanted to know who they were on the inside. Prax listened to Ayasha speak to their host. She was certainly more the diplomat than Prax, he the blunt instrument where she served as the surgeon’s scalpel. His attention was ripped back to the present as the cave was filled with the darkness. The dark did not scare Prax, he was created in darkness, his mind flowed into it easily as a hand might a glove. The anger and emotion in the dark filled the cave and roared around them. His mind flashed back to images of the pens and he saw Ezekiel shrouded in that darkness. He saw their host as Sith and for a moment, Prax was drawn to him.

He knew the dark and Vu’thari had taught him of the dark side. Prax understood what had happened to their host. It was a struggle that he felt daily within himself. The thought came unbidden to him that he would have made an excellent Sith. He recalled it as a feeling he had received on that lonely rainy rooftop in Nar Shaddaa where he had chosen the light over the dark. Prax looked at Ayasha as she began to speak, her voice was strong and full of conviction. She understood who she was and had the vocabulary to put that understanding to voice.

The exchange continued between their host and Ayasha. Prax’s eyes moved between the two and his emotions swirled. He wanted to cry out, to interject, interrupt the flow of that stream of consciousness. Instead he remained silent, watching the interchange as Vu’thari had taught him. Listening was a skill he had learned in the pens, it had saved him on more than one occasion. He placed that dam within himself and felt the emotion within him settle behind it.

As the host paused his conversation with Ayasha he turned to Prax and asked him the same question. Prax did not feel the same determination behind his words that Ayasha had. He had no pithy response to the question that sounded full of hope and resolve. He looked the host in the eyes and replied, “I am broken. I walk a path that is part darkness and light. Darkness and light do not define me, they are within me. Both are needed to complete who I am, and you are right. There is no word for who I am, I am a being of the Force as are we all.” Prax returned to his silence, he felt calm come over him, it had taken much to get to this point. He did not know what it meant but it warmed him within.

@Mithias
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@Wolf

 

[Ayasha Waya]

“No!” Ezekiel replied to Ayasha's answer. He explained to her that she cannot be fluid and that who she was now could not change from day to day. “Experiences will shape you but they must not change what is at your core,” he continued. The woman knew this and she was beginning to feel frustrated with herself for not conveying her thoughts with greater clarity. The little green alien went on to explain that if she allowed herself to be so easily molded by the things that happen to her, she would be lost to the darkness within.

Ayasha's eyes grew wide as the creature made the bold assumption. She remained quiet, though her lips twitched, aching to speak against such a lie. The young woman knew her heart and she was filled to overflowing with the light. As if reading her thoughts, Ezekiel began to speak, “Yes, there is darkness within you.” He went on describing how there was darkness within every living thing simply because the Force was not divided in half, it was everything from one end of the spectrum to the other.

Ezekiel mentioned the Sith and the fact that they are not victims to the darkness, unable to escape its pull. No, his conviction rested upon the truth that they actively chose the darkness within themselves because it is easy. The alien got up from his seat, wheezing as he did. He fetched a stone pitcher and poured himself a glass of water. From where he stood, he continued on about the Jedi and how they stood for everything that opposed the ease of nature.

Ayasha was consciously aware that every day she existed, she was choosing to be selfless. Granted, it was in her personality to be caring for others, but to actively choose others over self was something she had to work at. As the padawan pondered his words and contrasted them with her own thoughts, the creature returned to his seat with his cup and the lightsaber. He instructed her to think on what he had said while Prax gave his answer. “I did not ask who you are now, or yesterday or what you want to be in the future,” he added. “I asked who Ayasha was; the whole person.”

The woman's brain was boggled and her spirit had been shaken as he exposed within her a darkness she vehemently denied. “This is why Vu'thari said it would be so easy to fall...not because the darkness comes out of nowhere to seduce someone...but because it's been there, inside of them all along,” she thought to herself while her eyes shifted to the floor. Ayasha slipped deep into thought, contemplating all that Ezekiel had shared with her. His wisdom was undeniable and the padawan thought better than to question his knowledge that spanned centuries with hers that crossed two decades and some change.

Prax answered the question seemingly with flying colors. He spoke transparently, describing himself as a broken individual walking a path that is both light and dark. Ayasha sighed as her eyes returned to the face of the little green alien. She knew that whatever she said would likely be the incorrect answer. It seemed to the woman that he was being incredibly tough on her for reasons she was uncertain of. She had been forthcoming with him and had shared her insight with conviction. “I'm just Ayasha...” the padawan resorted to the familiar phrase she had come to hide behind when faced with anything that challenged her perception of herself.

“I'm just a vessel filled with the Force. I didn't choose it...it chose me though I'm certain there are others far more qualified to wield its power,” she began quietly with an honesty that poured out of a heart that had surrendered to the truth. Within her was a brokenness that she refused to address, but knew could very well be the source of the darkness that might so easily overwhelm if she was not cautious to take every thought and emotion captive.


@Mithias
@Lucid
@Critas

 

[The Storyteller]

Ezekiel drew deeply on the reservoir that is The Force.

He made no attempt to hide his emotions; they would serve as something more poignant than words just then. With a breath he was inside the minds of the two padawans. They would feel all he did, understand how afraid for them he was, not for what he was doing but what they could become if they left the cave without understanding the darkness within themselves. Prax would feel how scared Ezekiel was that he allowed himself to constantly pull from the darskide within him. He thought he could use it as it was part of himself but he was wrong.

Where Ayasha hid from her fear and loathing, her father hidden deeply within her, Prax defined himself by it. His time as slave forever at the front of his mind, he had not yet come to realize that he was free. From them both he drew their darkness, fostered it and brought it forward into their conscious minds. They would feel the dark side then, open and raw like a festering wound. At that moment it was everything they were and it was beautiful in its simplicity.

His eyes burned into theirs as he held the Force and his voice was as much in their minds as it was their ears. "This is what is within you both. Hiding from it, Ayasha or not having the strength to hold it back, Prax, will only allow it to grow. To be Jedi is to master this within yourself, accept it as a part of your whole self. Only then, when you accept what you are for who you are now, will you be able to grasp at the light and know it will never go out."

He could feel their resolve and he was proud. Both had taken steps towards this before coming here but they had needed one final push. Ezekiel was proud to be here at the moment when the new generation took its first solid steps toward a light in the darkness that had for centuries blackened the galaxy.

"Remember, my children, that go too far into the light and you may come full circle, for the Force is everything and at both ends lies suffering. Too far to the dark and you will extinguish life around you. Too far into the light and you will burn yourself, forever trying to rid the stain of the dark from whatever you touch. You must know that within you are both sides and together they make a whole; the same is true of all life and to be Jedi is to know that distinction and champion what is right and not always what is good. Once you hold that in your minds and your hearts you will be Jedi."

The effort he was expending to hold them in their own darkness was immense and the old alien was beginning to tire, but he would not fall, not yet. There was still work to be done. He drew even deeper on the Force and use the twisted power he had called from each of them to fuel his final gift. From his own mind he gave them a vision of the far future, one that along the twisting roads of time had already happened and would still yet happen. He thrust the power he had brought from them forward into that vision so clearly it was as though they watched and experienced in person.

A tiny woman, an Empress with all as her dominion, stood amid the ruins of a great temple on Coruscant. The Force screamed around her the closest thing to the cold hand of Death that any mortal would ever experience. The world was dying, souls were being called forward and used in a way that never should have been.

She was a wound in the Force. She was Andraste reborn.

It was as clear an illustration of what was inside the depths of the Force as Ezekiel could draw. But, at the center of the vision was light as Jedi fought on across time always moving forward. Even if they had been all but removed from the galaxy, beings would always find their way to the Force and to the light. Ezekiel let his power drop and they snapped back into their own minds with a terrible suddenness.

"My children, I have taught you all you need to know. I have felt your resolve and set you on the right path. Do as I have told you; it will not be sudden--nothing so critical ever is but you will prevail. You are Jedi."

The ancient alien smiled and his form began to grow translucent. He had gone far beyond what he was capable of sustaining at such an age and he had known the toll but he gave it freely. If he could guide the new generation forward on a path that would never take them from the true, then all must be given.

With a burst of pride and bliss he vanished into the Force. His robes fluttered to his stone seat and out of a pocket fell two glowing crystals; the items they had come here for. Each contained a part of his spirit, a memory of what they had endured to earn their right to be Jedi. He had given them all he could; they must make their own choices from this point forward...but at least they knew the way.

@Mithias
@Critas
@Wolf

 

[Vuthari]

The Apogee
Outside the Cave Entrance
Utapau

It was a state of deep meditation. Though the Jedi “master” was not observing what was happening within the cave, he could sense the myriad of emotions swirling around his two padawans from within. His bond to the pair was strong and at times, even the remnants of strong emotion, seemed to bleed over into the twi’lek. Vu’thari was able to feel the dark side in its raw form from within, manifested by the “teacher” inside. He recalled, as a boy, these emotions and the lessons that were learned that resonated even today. Although his grandfather did not agree with all that was learned in those caves, being a staunch traditionalist Jedi from centuries before, he could not deny what young Vu’thari learned valuable insight from its enigmatic resident.

A vision of a trio of crystals manifested, visible before the feet of Ayasha and Prax: a pair of violet, sparkling crystals and one brilliant turquoise one. Vu’thari swelled with pride as his padawans passed the tests inherent to the lessons taught…not all that entered the confines of that cave did. But there was also sorrow welling up within the twi’lek. He felt the presence of the ancient Jedi fading, the end of an era, a fitting close to the Jedi that was sacrificing all that was left for the benefit of him and his two padawans. Reaching out, Vu’thari gave a farewell to the enigmatic, often misunderstood Ezekial as he felt the creature’s life fading…

Farewell, noble teacher. Thank you...May the Force Be With You Always.

Moments passed and the Jedi could feel Ezekial slip away. The twi’lek’s eyes slowly opened. Rising from the pilot’s chair of the Apogee, the Jedi “Master” prepared one last detail for his padawans for when they returned…

@Wolf
@Critas
@Lucid

 

[Ayasha Waya]

Something strange began to happen within the cave. The conversation was moved from the simple setting to a larger stage shared within the minds of each padawan and Ezekiel. Ayasha felt the creature sifting through her memories, each one on display for her to see. It was almost as if she was standing at the Life Tree once again except this time, the emotions came through into the present as if they were being felt for the first time. Visions of the young woman's father savagely beating her came into the light, ripped from the darkness where she had been so careful to hide them all this time.

Ayasha felt her spirit rise up within her, fearful and angry. “I HATE YOU! I HATE WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO ME!” the raven haired woman screamed at the image of her father on the ethereal platform. There it was...malice. Someone with far more wisdom than the young woman had once told her that when things became difficult, whatever poured out of her in that moment was what had been deep inside the entire time. Anger. Rage. Hate. Fear. They were just as much a part of the padawan as the light. Though love, joy, peace and patience reigned supreme in her heart...there was a deep, powerful vein of darkness waiting to rupture and destroy her.

Ezekiel pulled the Dark Side forth in each of the students and laid it out bare for them to experience. For the first time in her life, Ayasha felt a draw to that which contradicted everything she thought she knew. Just as the creature had taught, the darkness did feel easier. Giving into it was far less work than fighting against its pull to live in a way that defied nature. The padawan realized she was at a precipice at that very moment. How quickly she could choose to fall, to give in to the natural and finally be free from the past that so easily oppressed her.

“No,” Ayasha told herself and the image of her father as if he himself beckoned her to embrace the hurt as a source of power. She was filled with resolve and instead of hiding from the darkness she now saw within, the padawan acknowledged it as a part of herself that made her whole just as Ezekiel had instructed. The image of her father vanished and the tumultuous emotions associated with the memories were replaced by a sea of peace. The little green alien began to speak once again, filling Ayasha's ears as well as her mind. He explained the duality of the Force and the danger of shifting too far in either direction on the spectrum. The woman nodded as she internalized the lesson.

Suddenly the trio was thrust into a completely different time on a completely different world. A scene unfolded before them of great darkness...but there was a brilliant beacon of light present as well. It began as a whisper...then a gentle wind. Before Ayasha knew it, this light was so brilliant she could hardly stand to look at it. It was the same light that existed across the span of time. For as long as there were people willing to respond to the call of the Force and to this light, there would be justice...and there would be Jedi. Suddenly and without warning, the young woman was ripped from the spiritual stage as Ezekiel let his power drop.

“My children, I have taught you all you need to know,” he began, his voice suddenly weaker than before. Ayasha leaned forward on her stone seat, her brows furrowed in concern as she watched the green alien begin to fade. The woman blinked several times as she fixed her eyes on his face, but that did not seem to help. “Do as I have told you. It will not be sudden – nothing so critical ever is but you will prevail,” he added while fading further. The padawan was beginning to piece together what she was seeing with her own eyes. She knew that at the end of her life, she would become one with the Force...but she had no idea that this was what that process looked like.

With a final push, Ezekiel added one final thing. “You are Jedi.” He smiled as he slipped further and further into a translucent state. Suddenly and quite unexpectedly, he vanished. His robes fluttered through the air, coming to rest upon the stone seat where the teacher had been sitting. As the material settled onto its final resting place, three glowing crystals fell out of the pocket and rolled into view. As soon as Ayasha's eyes shifted to the brilliant turquoise crystal she felt it call out to her. It was a strange, supernatural connection that existed deep within the Force. Without hesitation, the young woman reached out and took the blue green crystal in her hand, knowing in her heart that it was meant for her. She retrieved the lightsaber that had once belonged to Vu'thari's grandfather and returned it to its place beneath her tunic. Soon, she would have her own weapon in its place.

The padawan was aware that Prax beside her was having his own, separate experience. It was not for her to question or surmise what it was he was going through, but she knew that both of them had taken a turn on their path to becoming Jedi Knights. The raven haired woman rose to her feet and placed a gentle hand upon the shoulder of her fellow student. She shared a silent smile with him before making her way to the mouth of the cave. If he needed some time alone to work through what had just transpired, Ayasha wanted to be sure she respected that and provided the opportunity by excusing herself.

The young woman looked down at the glowing crystal in her hand as she pressed against the wind on her walk back to the Apogee. She had never felt connected to the borrowed lightsaber she carried in the way that she now felt connected to that small stone. It was an incredible feeling as if something that had been missing from her life had suddenly been found and returned to her. It was this bond that would cause her weapon to truly be an extension of herself when raised in defense of the greater good. As Ayasha was just about to board the craft, she turned and glanced back at the cave, her heart whispering a thank you and goodbye to Ezekiel's spirit as he took the final step of his journey.


@Mithias
@Lucid
@Critas

 

[Prax Dek]

Prax felt the darkness wash over him as it emanated from the Jedi master. He could smell the pens, the mixed smells of fear, massed bodies both alien and human, waste and despair. He heard the guards coming for him. He knew this memory and knew it well. He walked with the guards from the pens to the waiting room where the Hutt that owned him met with his slaves. He would not allow a slave’s presence in any room that he considered important. Prax felt his legs moving but could not alter their path, no matter where they led.

Arriving in the room, a panel opened, and he could see the bulk of his master. Large globular eyes watched him, and he could see the amusement on the Hutts face. He heard his master’s voice through the speaker. “Slave I have a task for you, someone owes me money and you will go and collect. Then you will terminate that person for the effort this is costing me.” Prax knew before the image opened on the screen before him who he would see there. It was a face he had seen in his dreams for many years, older and feebler but still recognizable. He tried to will his eyes shut, to scream defiance to the Hutt but he could not affect the image. He would see his father and his father would die at his hand.

Back in the cave, still in the depths of the Force induced hallucination, Prax wept openly. Sorrow consumed him and the darkness welled within him. He could feel it permeating his soul, attempting to extinguish the light that had kindled since his awakening. He dropped to his knees, his shoulders slumped, arms hanging limply at his sides in resignation. He focused on the light, he was free now, he now understood the darkness versus the light. He ground out, his throat raw and his tongue thick in his mouth, “I choose the light and will be its vessel.”

In the Prax was no stranger to sadness and it washed over him again as their host, Ezekiel, faded away into the Force. Although he had only known the creature for a short time, they had bonded on a level that few could replicate or even contemplate. Ayasha had also bonded with the Jedi master so Prax knew they now had that experience in common, it was a bond they shared that went beyond apprenticeship. It tied he, she and Vu’thari in a way that would stand the test of time.

He considered the Jedi’s last words as he faded away. He needed to trust himself to suppress the darkness while embracing its existence. You must embrace both sides of the force to have true harmony and be whole. The separation between what is right and what is good was a new one to Prax. He had always considered what was good to be what was right but now, he was not so sure. The image of Andraste reborn was something that chilled Prax, gooseflesh appearing on his bare arms. He did not understand the significance of the image but would certainly ask Ayasha and Vu’thari later.

As the Jedi faded away, Prax could feel the existence of two warm attachments to his soul. Looking down he saw twin purple crystals on the ground. He watched as Ayasha squatted down and picked up a turquoise crystal. He felt no attachment to it, not like the twin gleaming crystals remaining on the ground. Prax turned and picked up the two crystals, one in each hand. Their warmth flowed through him and he felt more complete that he ever had in the past.

Prax turned and dropped to one knee in front of the robes that marked the shrine to the sacrifice of Ezekiel. Prax pulled one of his vibro knives and used it to cut a strip of leather from the Jedi’s belt. Taking the strip, he then split it and wrapped each one piece around each of his wrists. The two leather bands would act as a reminder to Prax of the lessons he had learned in the cave. Where brands, tattoos and scars highlighted Prax’s memories, now he would start a collection of new memories.

Prax stood and took the robes, placing them on the small bed as if they still wrapped the small form of the Jedi master. He said a small prayer he had learned in the pens, he did not know its origins but the slave that taught it to him had been kind. After a final moment of reflection, he tucked the twin crystals into a hidden pocket in his armor and headed out of the cave. He emerged just as he watched Ayasha’s back retreating into the ship. He looked up at the sky and inhaled deeply, he air was fresh and invigorated him. He knew it would need that vigor in the future to come.

@Mithias
@Wolf
@Lucid

 

[Vuthari]

The Apogee
Outside the Cave Entrance
Utapau

Vu’thari could sense the emotions swirling within his two Padawans. The lessons of Ezekial were presented and learned, but the twi’lek knew that these lessons might not come into play today or tomorrow—but they would definitely be felt by his padawans at some point in time. the twi'lek just hoped that they would remember their time in that cave and how the sacrifice of a wise Jedi laid his life down so he could pass on a parting gift before his death – his knowledge and wisdom. The crystals were important, but learning about the dark side was even more important...

The side door opened and the stairs retracted as the first to arrive from the caves accessed the ship. Ayasha entered, seemingly deep in thought. There were no words to pass along, nothing to else to say. He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder as she passed and gave her a knowing smile. The lessons learned in that cave were for her to ponder. He knew when he left the cave as a young padawan, all he wanted to do was meditate on what had transpired because the young twi’lek was shook to the core at the potential the dark side had for corruption.

Prax entered a few minutes later. Again, he eyed the young human with his brilliant green orbs and placed a firm hand on his shoulder. Vu'thari gave the man a knowing nod of support and managed a weak smile. Both of the padawans hovered a bit after they entered, unsure of what to do next. Vu’thari closed the access door and looked at his two padawans. He said quietly, “I am pleased both of you were able to meet Ezekial. He was a remarkable Jedi. The fact that no one else will be able to learn from him is a travesty, but I am pleased both of you had this opportunity. What happened in that cave is for you to ponder and meditate on. Take some time. Ponder what Ezekial passed on to you. If you wish to speak on what transpired after you have sorted through it, I am always here for you…”

Vu’thari smiled at his padawans and said with genuine affection, “I am proud of you both…”

With that, the twi’lek turned and headed towards the cockpit…

THE END​

@Wolf
@Critas
@Lucid